09/18/2024
Real Estate Fees
Stuart Watkins
When is a 4% real estate fee enough to charge a seller? In my real estate career, I have seen fees as high as 15% and have charged that much for difficult properties to sell, and usually charged 12% for land sales in areas hard to get to, or had unusual problems. However, in the current residential real estate market, it may be that a 4% fee is more than adequate. In real estate exchanges of land for commercial property, apartment buildings, or even land, sometimes a 20% fee is appropriate. Real estate fees are negotiable, as they should be. Sometimes a flat fee is appropriate for a seller who has found their own buyer, but wants a professional to assist in the closing of the sale. Feel free to discuss the fee with the agency you are considering to employ to assist you in selling your property. Real estate agents may decide not to list your property if you are not willing to compensate them in an appropriate manner for their skill, and knowledge about the current market conditions. When you hire a real estate firm to represent your best interests, it is their obligation to do so. Be comfortable in consulting with several firms before selecting one to help you resolve your real estate situation.